Lean on me
by GPR
Summary: When Claudia Brown started her career 5 years ago as a civil servant, she never expected to become best friends with Thomas Ryan, a gulf war veteran. So after Nick kissed her in the hotel, who does she confide in? Heartwarming Nick/Claudia fluff.


I always thought there was a history of understanding between Ryan and Claudia, and I just love Nick/Claudia, so this one shot popped into my head and I had to write it.

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It was Friday night again, movie night. Thomas Ryan had been expecting Claudia to browse around the romance and chick-flick section of blockbusters. Much to his surprise though, as he read the blurb for the movie S.W.A.T, she popped up from behind the sci-fi section, in front of him.

'I thought you'd be checking out Love actually and Pride and Prejudice, not the x-files.'

Claudia grimaced, 'I hate the x-files. Jurassic park however…'

Ryan gave a half laugh at the cheeky grin spreading across her face, 'Don't you think we've had enough of dinosaurs for one day? Especially you.'

Claudia beamed wider, a hint of a smirk playing at the corners of her mouth, 'Oh yeah? What's that supposed to mean?'

'You and Cutter were being chased by flesh eating bat-like things; I thought at least that would give you nightmares.' He shivered.

'Pterosaurs. They were Pterosaurs.' She retorted, correcting him.

'Same difference…come to think of it, where the hell did your top go?' Ryan raised a suspicious eyebrow at her.

Blushing deep crimson, Claudia muttered, 'Nick took it…'

'Oh yeah? Do carry on.' He smirked, his curiosity growing immensely.

'I was covered in blood…they could smell it.' She snapped defensively.

'Of course you were,' he grinned sheepishly, seeing her rosy complexion deepen, 'You love Cutter.'

'I am not in love with Nick!' she hissed, looking around as if, by magic, Nick Cutter would wonder out of nowhere and overhear their conversation.

'I'm putting ten quid on the bet something else happened in that hotel-'

'Shut up!' she angrily swotted her friend from across the shelf, 'I'll tell you when we get back.'

Ryan was still smiling broadly, 'Your place or mine?'

'Mine, I've got the KFC.'

-

At the age of 22, Claudia Brown had first joined the Home Office unaware she would become the best friend of Gulf war veteran, Thomas Ryan. Young, compassionate and a little naïve, Ryan had immediately taken to her on their first introduction. From that point on he had always called her ma'am or Ms Brown, much to her scornfulness. He had teased her about it once or twice, saying things like, 'You rang m'Lady?' For which he had often got a bollocking from her. Ryan had always loved her brashness and courage, often holding her in high esteem.

Claudia loved Ryan's honesty; although his bluntness did get on her nerves, she was always the one to criticise him back. She had slipped into the habit of calling him Ryan, whether at work or sharing a little social time with him. Ryan, however, could easily switch from ma'am to Claudia. But, despite their loves and hates of one another, a strong friendship was the relationship they had shared for five years.

Movie night was one of their weekly traditions; every Friday was dedicated to a marathon movie watching frenzy. Usually they would rent about ten films between them; Ryan often fell asleep after the sixth one, Claudia the seventh. KFC was the only thing on the menu; if you didn't include the partially solidified leftovers of Claudia's badly home made cooking, which could be found lurking in the depths of her fridge.

Sitting on the sofa with a cappuccino each, Claudia was the one to start the conversation, and the food. Popping a piece of popcorn chicken in her mouth from one of the many boxes, she said, 'How's Loraine?'

Ryan frowned, 'She's fine, if not a little stuck up at this precise moment.'

'What have you done?' Claudia raised an eyebrow.

'Nothing!' he retorted defensively, 'She's the one with the problem!'

'What's the problem?'

His scowled darkened, 'She wanted to know where I go every Friday. So I told her, I hang out with my boss. Loraine said, "thank god, I thought you were seeing another woman." I had to explain that you were a woman, that you were called Claudia…she cooled down afterwards.'

Looking rather nonplussed, Claudia quizzed him, 'Why?'

'She thought only old women were called Claudia-' Ryan laughed as one of the cushions hit him square in the face, 'But yeah, I had to…clarify your age.'

'And?' she muttered crossly.

'She a little pissed off at the fact I'm spending my Friday nights with a woman who's three years younger then her,' He shook his head as Claudia merely rolled her eyes, 'So, what's up with you and Cutter?'

Ryan was satisfied at his friend's flushed complexion, he was on to something. She hadn't really had a love life since she had left her fiancé two years ago. Of course there had been the odd dates now and then he had set up for her, much to her own disdain. It was his understanding that it was during the middle of such a date that she had met Nick Cutter. The details had been hazy on her part, but he knew for a fact Claudia had had an impact on the University professor; it was in the way he looked at her.

After what seemed an age, she spoke, 'He kissed me.'

Ryan choked on his coffee, being frank was not the way Claudia generally revealed things; he usually had to drag it out of her kicking and screaming. She thought he was choking due to laughing, and it earned him another whack around the head with one of her many cushions.

Being careful since she was armed with numerous pillows, he dared to repeat her words, 'He kissed you?'

'Isn't that what I just said?'

'How'd that happen? I leave you in his charge for less then 45 minutes and he's already got you knocked unconscious, running from flesh eating, flying dinosaurs and kissed you.' He listed the many events that had occurred to her that day.

'It just…happened. He said he had to find a phone and that I was going to be alright, then he…' she trailed off, reminiscing.

'Kissed you?'

'Yeah…' was her only response since she seemed to be lost, trying to recreate the kiss in her mind.

'You really like him, don't you?' Ryan simply observed her lax frame beside him.

Claudia sighed, dragging herself back to reality, 'Yes, but he's married-'

'To one hell of a bitch, Claudia, take the bull by the horns as they say. He kissed you; you weren't the one who kissed him. Doesn't that tell you who loves who?'

She looked uncomfortable at his words, 'Love's a strong word Ryan.'

'I know it is, but I'm right aren't I?'

Her pondering gaze found his, 'Yes, you are.'

They fell into an easy silence that only years of being friends could accomplish. Claudia turned her attention to the telly, effectively ignoring him so she could be amidst her thoughts.

Finally Ryan spoke, 'You can cut the sexual tension between the two of you with a knife.'

He grinned, receiving yet another blow with the cushion, 'Don't push your luck Thomas Ryan.'

His beam only widened, 'Yes ma'am.'

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Please review, I really want to know what you think,

GPR


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